The invention relates to an improved artificial stem for a natural cut flower.
Natural cut flower arrangements such as corsages and bouquets that contain stephanotis flowers, e.g., short stemmed flowers such as lilies and orchids which grow in clusters on a main stalk, are usually made by cutting the flowers from the stalk and mounting the cut flowers on artificial stems of various lengths. Non-stephanotis flowers such as carnations are likewise often cut and mounted on artificial stems. Corsages, for example, can be made by impaling the severed end of a flower onto a short wire holder. Similarly, bouquets of flowers can be made by mounting the stalks or stems of flowers over a length of wire combined with a wire holder. Flowers that are so arranged are usually kept fresh by adding moisture to reservoirs in the wire holders. An example of such a holder is described in Gallo, U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,474.
One example of an artificial stem is Gallo, U.S. Pat. No. 3,321,886, which describes a stephanotis flower holder comprising a wire stem and a cylindrical wrapping of water absorbent cotton which is secured to the wire stem with water-proofed tape. Other artificial stems use a length of "flocked wire" in place of the wire stem. For example, Gallo, U.S. Pat. No. 3,553,889, describes an artificial stem constructed of flocked wire, i.e., stiff wire having a rough covering of textile material. The use of the flocked wire artificial stem is also described in Gallo, U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,234, which describes an artificial stem having an exterior tube, a flocked wire positioned within the tube, and a length of water absorbent cotton wrapped about the flocked wire. Gallo, U.S. Pat. No. 3,150,462, describes a fresh flower holder comprising a stiff flocked wire and a layer of water absorbent material, e.g., cotton or fibrous plug, which is wrapped around or positioned over the flocked wire and secured with a wrapping, e.g., water-repellent adhesive tape.
U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 07/294,165, filed in 1989, describes an artificial stem which includes an exterior tube having an opening at one end for receiving the stem of a flower and a second interior tube within the exterior tube that establishes a stem-receiving channel between the interior and exterior tubes. A flower is inserted and held in the channel primarily by friction. A strip of water-absorbent material, e.g., blotter paper, is also positioned within the tube and provides a path for water to flow to the flower.